Kentucky Derby trophy sells for $187,500

A Kentucky Derby trophy won by Spend A Buck has auctioned online for $187,521.

Spend a Buck trophy
  Worth $50,000 in gold

Spend A Buck's owner, Dennis Diaz, received the gold trophy after his horse won the famous race in 1985.

Spend A Buck's victory helped secure a special pay out for Diaz. Golden State Park Racetrack owner Robert Brennan had offered a $2m bonus to any horse who could win two preparatory races, the Kentucky Derby and the Jersey Derby two weeks later.

When Spend A Buck won the Jersey Derby by a neck, it triggered what was then the highest pay out in US racing history.   

The piece has superb provenance, with a line of ownership from Diaz's widow.

The trophy is worth $50,000 in gold, "but that does not even begin to tell the tale," explains auction house Lelands. "The historical value is incalculable, making this priceless".

Dubbed "the most exciting two minutes in sports", the Kentucky Derby is one of the world's most prestigious races, and has been won by such household names as War Admiral, Secretariat and Affirmed.

It is a new record for a Kentucky Derby trophy, eclipsing Jet Pilot's 1947 trophy, which sold for $42,500 in 2009.

Prices are strong for the finest pieces of racing memorabilia. The former winner's enclosure gates at Ascot auctioned for £280,000 ($407,500) in 2005, while the silks from Shergar's Derby win made £7,500 ($10,900) in 2008.

Lelands' Winter 2015 Auction, which closed on January 8, also featured Spend A Buck's 1985 Eclipse Horse of the Year award, which made $17,118.

Paul Fraser Collectibles is selling another prestigious piece of racing history. Click here to find out more.

Please sign up to our free newsletter to receive exciting news about sports memorabilia auctions.

Featured products

Elvis Presley Authentic Strand of Hair
Elvis Presley Authentic Strand of Hair
Sale price£399
In stock
Fidel Castro signed certificateFidel Castro Signed Certificate
Fidel Castro signed certificate
Sale price£2,995
In stock
King Henry VIII Autographed DocumentKing Henry VIII Autographed Document
King Henry VIII Autographed Document
Sale price£55,000
In stock